New estimates released by state reflect better economy, less migration out of state, increased urbanization

New population estimates reflect a slightly improved economy driven by more births, a gradual recovery in the migration of people moving into California and fewer residents leaving the state, according to figures released Wednesday by the California Department of Finance.

The 2013 estimate also showed an uptick in new housing, the majority of those being multifamily units. Demographers said it is too soon to tell whether the trend will last, but it could be an early sign of increased urbanization and density.

“The fact that we are seeing positive growth this year is a good sign for the state,” said John Malson, assistant chief of the demographic research unit for the Department of Finance. “Maybe it shows that California is getting a little better.”

Overall, California’s population was 37,966,000 as of Jan. 1, up by 298,000 compared with the previous year but still not at peak rates, when 600,000 people were being added each year.

The greatest growth occurred in the Bay Area, which claims four of the five fastest-growing counties — Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo and San Francisco. The fifth is Yuba, which is north of Sacramento.

San Diego County and local cities continued to see population growth, albeit slow, but a trend experts say is positive.

The county experienced 0.7 percent growth, with the addition of about 22,000 people. The city of San Marcos continues to be the fastest-growing city in this region — up by 2.2 percent from the prior year.

The city of San Diego, the second largest in the state, grew by 0.8 percent. It is home to 1,326,238 people, including 11,000 who are new residents. Los Angeles is the state’s largest city with 3.8 million people, up by 37,000 from 2012. San Jose ranks third in size with 984,299 people, up by 14,000 from the previous year.

The state’s estimate for greater San Diego is consistent with projections by the San Diego Association of Governments for how the region is recuperating from the Great Recession, said Clint Daniels, principal research analyst at SANDAG.

Also in the report is a numerical shift from single-family homes to multifamily units. It’s too soon for demographers to call it a trend, especially with the impact of the recent recession, but experts say it could be significant as younger people begin forming households.

The Department of Finance report showed 4,600 new housing units in San Diego County, up from 3,400 in 2011. Multifamily units account for 61 percent of the new housing. At its peak, the count saw up to 15,000 new housing units annually, Daniels said.

In San Diego city, 82 percent of new housing in 2013 is multi-unit. In San Marcos, 71 percent of new housing was multi-unit.

“This is reinforcement of the community and general plans for more density,” Daniels said. “What we are seeing and hearing is there is a demographical shift of younger people wanting to live in more urban and dense communities.”

The trend is the same across the state, which gained about 45,000 new housing units — down from 200,000 in peak years, but a healthy upswing from previous years. Of those new homes, about 23,801 were multifamily units.

“If we see more multifamily units being built in the future, it might indicate a different way of urban living, versus people seeking single-family homes with a little land around it,” Malson said. “It could be a residual of the recession, people want to be closer to work, the cost of long commutes is a factor, or it could be a younger workforce, more diverse, who want an urbanized life versus their parents who wanted a single-family home.”